Killer Rooster

[cd3farm]

My HUGE incredibly beautiful English Black Orpington rooster killed my very large English Spangled Orpington hen last night. I saw it happen. He was mounting her and then suddenly she was dead. I heard the noise glanced over and he was just finishing. She then started struggeling and flapping and then went still. Did he break her neck?? Was something wrong with her??

He has been in my pen with nine hens for many months. Two of the laying hens "my muts and not nearly as large" have been in with him much longer (just for company) and I've even hatched from them to see what he would produce. The Spangles are now six months old and I assume ready to mount. It may have been her first time. Shock? Trauma?

The thing is he has killed a hen before. I bought him and a English Black Orpington hen as a pair at a poultry show. about a ten months ago. I had them in quarantine and on the third day she was dead and he (something) had eaten quite a bit of her. It was a very secure area and I couldn't find any way anything could have gotten in. So puzzled at the time but I couldn't help but think, wonder if it was him. I was very hesitant to put any hens in with him after he left quarantine but finally put in a couple of "my muts" young pullets in with him and they love him and he them, but the Spangles have always acted scared of him.

Now this???????????

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Maybe he squished and suffocated her? I don't know, the whole thing sounds very odd.

I have a very large EE rooster in with laying hens and pullets of various breeds and sizes. He's just figuring things out, and is a bit rough with them at times, but I've never had anything like that happen in all the years I've been keeping chickens.

Since you've lost 2 girls, presumably because of him, it might be time to find him another home or put him in the freezer....

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I do know at the end of the mating the rooster will sometimes jerk backwards pulling on the hens head or neck, maybe he had her just right and is just too big and clumsy, just a theory, did her neck seem broke

 

[cd3farm]

Yes, it did. I guess that was what I was really wanting to know. It seemed as if he broke her neck. He has no problem mating with his two other girls. I have raised chickens for 32 years and have never had a rooster do this. I was watching them tonight and he was trying to mount some other Spangles the same age and they were fighting him like crazy.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It might have been a fluke, things happen, as far as the first hen, she could have just died as chickens seem to do for no apparent reason, and chickens sometimes peck, and once they taste blood they keep going, so he probably didn't kill her just pecked her after she died, if you like him I would keep him and accommodate him, and keep him away from younger birds as it's probably his size that is causing any troubles.

 

[cd3farm]

That's what I am hoping for. He has been with them for months now and not hurt them and he is a magnificent roo, so I am going to gamble and give him one more chance I think. I would absolutely hate to have to cull him.